All the Smithfield News

Save the date. 30 June to 02 July 2017. Download the 2017 Application form for performers . Send your completed forms and proof of payment to admin@plattelandpreview.co.za For any queries, contact Irene on 082 556 2446 or Lynne on 082 871 5049 admin@plattelandpreview.co.za Platteland Preview Information for Performers .Read more

By Gregg Bauer ~ Friday, 9 December 2016 sees the arrival in Smithfield of the student group Feet4Fees where they will overnight prior to continuing their 1000km long walk for education! This is a movement initiated by students, for students. It started with one of the students, recognising the plight of fellow students, struggling on a daily basis to make ends meet. Often students will not have conducive living arrangements, cannot afford decent meals and would often tackle a full academic day without breakfast. Many do not have any local family support and have continuous stress about...Read more

It was a great evening! - Donve Fullard’s hugely entertaining "Concert of Contrasts" delighted the audience in the Red Barn in Smithfield earlier this week. A newcomer to Smithfield, Donve has already made her mark as a concert pianist – and for Smithfield there is the promise of more to come. As the title suggests, the music in her latest offering ranged widely from fairly serious classics to honky-tonk offerings from Broadway, as well as jazz - sufficiently varied to delight the entire audience, whatever their preferences. Adding an interesting touch was the use of an...Read more

Joyce Fiedelman’s recent visit to Smithfield was no casual stopover on a tourist’s itinerary. Now resident in Israel, Joyce seen here in conversation with Barbara von Ahlefeldt, had brought her children to visit the village where her family had lived for 88 years and where she was born. The visit was a huge success. Joyce was deeply moved at returning to a much changed Smithfield where she had spent her early years. As for the children, after having heard so many stories about Smithfield for so long, their visit to a place which had figured so prominently in the history of their...Read more

by Martin Booyens ~ What a privilege to have an entertainer of his stature at Buckley’s in our own hometown, we had guests from Aliwal North and Zastron joining us for the evening and they begged to be informed of other events we are planning in future. The concert coincided with the Super Moon and that in itself added an atmosphere of love, harmony and made you feel small in this universe. The music Mathys did of Leonard Cohen was as if was written for the evening in Smithfield and the setting. Mathys entertained the guest with a variety of covers and of course his own songs. When he...Read more

An enjoyable round of golf on Smithfield’s delightful 9-hole course turned dramatically into crisis last week, causing every player and caddy within shouting-distance to drop whatever they were doing and rush madly to help prevent a major catastrophe. Club stalwart, Marco Heymans’ indifferent drive from the tee on the sixth hole landed his ball in the rough - normally, no big deal for a keen golfer. This time was different. As his club smacked the ball in appropriate fashion there was an odd sound of contact. Unusually, there was a metallic “ping” to it. Within seconds...Read more

by Gregg Bauer ~ The Smithfield Garden Club - a vibrant, dedicated and enthusiastic grouping of local community members - celebrated their year-end function on Tuesday, 8 November at Nick's Place in Smithfield. As usual, the turnout was exceptional, and the social chatter that bubbled on the sunny patio was evident of a friendly community spirit. Hanlie Smith, the chairwoman of the Garden Club, took the opportunity to revisit the year's activities and thanked her committee for their support and outstanding enthusiasm. Member birthdays for the remainder of the year were celebrated and...Read more

Six years ago there was so little support for the Smithfield Golf Club that it was on the verge of closing down. As a desperate last minute effort to avoid what seemed to be the inevitable end, Harry Prinsloo came up with the idea of a one-day competition that would enable the largely farming membership to meet on the fairway with reps of agricultural-supply companies supplying local farmers. The idea could not have been more successful. Not only was the club saved but financially it has gone from strength to strength. Given the appropriate title of Goue Vag or Golden Fleece the competition...Read more

What better setting for a party than this beautiful meandering water feature. Although they may not have realised it at the time, Pierre and Annatjie Steyn created a tradition decades ago when they held what they termed the “English Party” on their lovely farm “Rietvlei” outside Smithfield.. This delightful sheep-farming couple believed recent arrivals in Smithfield whose home language was English should be recognised for bringing new blood into the local system. That first party was a resounding success – as were those that followed: The event became a firm...Read more

Surprises are one of Smithfield’s specialities, fortunately most of them pleasant, which is only to be expected, bearing in mind the generous nature of the people living here. We recently have had two very good examples of this. A couple of Smithfield entrepreneurs are making good use of their personal skills to create handmade products which have found a ready local demand. William Novasi and Isaac Fusi have been part of the local scene most of their lives and have shown themselves to be highly competent in their own chosen fields. And the fact that there is such a strong creative...Read more